Parkview Baptist Church Membership Covenant

Having, as I trust, been brought by divine grace to repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, and to give up myself to Him, and having been baptized upon my profession of faith, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, I do now, in the presence of God, most solemnly and joyfully enter into a covenant with the members of Parkview Baptist Church as one body in Christ Jesus. As a part of this local body of believers, I commit, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to:

• Seek to glorify God in all that I think, say and do
  “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” -Colossians 3:17 NASB

• Receive instruction and strive to live by the inspired, infallible and inerrant Word of God
  “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.” -2 Timothy 3:16 NASB (see also Romans 12:1-2)

• Help promote and maintain unity in the body of Christ
  “Therefore I, the prisoner for the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” –Ephesians 4:1-3 NASB (see also John 13:34-45 and Romans 15:5-6)

• Fully understand the spiritual gift(s) God has given me and exercise them consistently
  “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” -1 Peter 4:10-11 NASB (see also Romans 12:3-8 and 1 Corinthians 12:4-31

• Be a faithful steward of my time, talents and treasures
  “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” –Matthew 6:19-21 NASB (see also Malachi 3:8-12; Matthew 25:14-29: Luke 12:13-34)

• Grow in the grace and knowledge of my Lord Jesus Christ; daily denying myself, taking up my cross and following Him
  “And He was saying to them all, ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in His glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. But I say to you truthfully, there are some of those standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God." –Luke 9:23-27 NASB (see also Galatians 2:20 and 1 Peter 2:1-3)

• Take an active role in proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ
  “And Jesus came up and spoke to them saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." –Matthew 28:18-20 NASB (see also Acts 1:8; Romans 1:16-17; Romans 10:14-15)
   

While my ultimate covenant is with God Almighty, through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, sealed with and empowered by the Holy Spirit who lives within me, I recognize that this church covenant is in place to encourage me to strive to live out the biblical principles mentioned above, and if I should ever fall short of striving to live out those principles, I will welcome any necessary accountability (see Matthew 18:15-17; Galatians 6:1-2) that will help keep me in the center of God’s will.